A suction pool cleaner is a convenient way of cleaning your swimming pool. A suction pool cleaner uses the power of your pool's pump to help pump out dirt and debris on the the bottom of your pool. Most suction pool cleaners are almost automatic and require little (if any) intervention on the part of the operator.

However, when a suction pool cleaner is not working the way it should, it can be a great source of frustration as many people don't where to start in troubleshooting the problem. Fortunately, tracking down a problem with your suction pool cleaners is not that difficult. To that end, here is some information you might find useful in finding and correcting problems with your suction pool cleaner.

Hose Problems

If your vacuum hose has a tendency to get tangled a lot when you're vacuuming your pool, it is probably a result of improper storage. If the hose was not wrapped correctly when it was hung on a storage rack, the plastic hose will tend to 'remember' that position. In order to correct this problem, lay the vacuum hose out on a hot sunny day and try to make the hose as straight as possible. You may have to do this for a few days in order to allow the hose to 'forget' the way it was wrapped. However, after a few tries, the hose should return to a straight and manageable position.

Another very common hose problem is a hose attached to a suction pool cleaner that sinks too far below the surface of the pool. If the hose seems to fall too far below the surface, it causes undue stress on the suction pool cleaner and will result in poor movement along the bottom of the pool. This is usually a result of waterlogged or worn out hose floats. To fix this problem, simply replace the floats.

Little or No Movement

If you are experiencing problems of little or no movement with your automatic or semi-automatic suction pool cleaner, you should first check the skimmer basket and pool pump debris basket. If these basket baskets are full, the pump cannot create the required pressure needed to properly move the suction pool cleaner along the bottom of the pool surface.

Also, you should always check the wheels and bearings on the bottom of the suction pool cleaner. These become worn quickly and will often result in poor movement or the suction pool cleaner simply spinning in place. Finally, if your suction pool cleaner has a debris screen on it, you should check and clean it frequently as well.

Not Cleaning the Bottom of the Pool

If the suction pool cleaner is moving at a proper rate of speed and in random directions, but it's still not cleaning the bottom of your pool, it may be a result of worn or damaged brushes or suction vents on the bottom of the suction pool cleaner. These parts do wear out and need to be replaced periodically. So, if the bottom of your pool still looks dirty, change brushes and suction vents before doing anything else.